Today we have a short but fun update on the Denver Union Station project: the last of the major arches for the canopy structure over the commuter rail platforms has been installed.
Here’s a photo, courtesy of Kiewit’s Union State web cam, showing the view from this morning:
What’s also clearly in view here is the excavation and rectangular footprint of Holland Partners’ new 1650 Wewatta tower located between the canopy and Wewatta Street.
Sweet!
does anyone know whats happening on that lot between 15th and 16th off of little raven? they have it all blocked off and have cut down the trees. je dunn has their signs up but i havent been able to find anything that says what the plan is there. thx
Yes, that’s the Cosmopolitan Club. If you search DenverInfill Blog you’ll find old pre-recession posts about it. I’m working on a new post now that it’s finally at construction stage.
This is very exciting progress indeed. I love the look of the train shed.
On another note. How come comments are no longer available on the DenverUrbanism website? I can’t find any contact info to ask the question of Ken.
Any chance DIA will have a webcam like this?
Will the underground bus facility have restrooms, ticket counters, coffee kiosks, etc.? Or, will the underground concourse just be for passenger movement?
Also, just curious on how Amtrak plans on getting passengers’ luggage to the train from DUS? Is there an underground tunnel they will use?
I believe the underground concourse will have restrooms, ticket counters and possibly a coffee kiosk, but the plan is for real retail to be on the street level. The new Amtrak baggage office will be relocated within the historic station to near the 16th Street end so that it will be a short cart-ride away from the stub end of the station to get to the Amtrak platform.
As Union Station is surrounded with basically block-shaped new structures, the Train Shed (odd name) emerges as the design centerpiece to the entire DUS design. But does it overtake the intended “real” centerpiece, the original, 19th-Century station? It’s the same design issue at DIA — does the new hotel hide the unique profile of the multiple tented peaks of the terminal behind it?
While I appreciate the great dialogue about the PARTS of DUS, what’s the over-all message of the DUS design? Is it a 19th-century travel icon, dominated by a sleek cloud of metal and glass, like the sleek surfaces of rail cars? How will the new urban world around Union Station fit to the carved-rock surfaces and profile of an old building? Maybe “Travel by Train” in neon over it all — at least at night — transcends, telling travelers that rail travel connects them over both space and time. I hope so, but as depicted, the Train Shed looks like it ignores the historic station next to it.
Who is the GC on this project?